Wednesday, November 12, 2008

on the way...

Like I said in my last post, Jesus is teaching some personally profound things through scripture right now. Stuff that's actually changing the way I live. I was reading through Matthew 9 the other day and came across something that really took hold of me. In one of the stories Matthew describes a scene where a ruler comes and begs Jesus to heal his dead daughter. Jesus complies. Pretty cool. Jesus is gonna resurrect this girl. But...on the way something interrupts his plans. A lady suffering from an unsightly and embarrassing lady problem touches the hem of his robe. And the words that are challenging me are simple. "Jesus turned." He turned, healed her, and continued on his way to heal the ruler's daughter.

Jesus was on his way. He was interrupted, depending on your theological perspective. I think he was. But he turned to help this woman. I've convinced over the past couple of days that I'm the most hair brained task oriented person alive. I've got what they call, "frenetic tunnel vision." I think a lot of us get in this rut. Its why we can't tell you everything about the world between home and our job. Its why my wife gets so frustrated at me when I'm watching television or messing with my iPhone. Its not her. Its me. Its why I get so frustrated when somebody interrupts any number of tasks. Its why so many of are rarely fully present when we're between here and there.

But I think we learn a lot from Jesus in this passage. We learn that "on the way" can be packed with so much meaning and significance if we'd only take the time to turn, to be intentional in our interruptions or maybe be intentionally interrupted. A couple examples over the past couple of days.

I was headed to buy my wife a delicious gourmet cupcake from Hey Cupcake, on South Congress. She had been so sweet to me through my sprained ankle and I wanted to show her a little love. On the way I saw the sign for a church down the street and thought of their new student minister Mark. I decided, "Today I'm going to be intentional on the way, so I pulled in unannounced only to be surprised with a truly inspiring conversation with a kindred spirit that I look forward to working with and can learn a lot from.

Then yesterday, I decided to work from a coffee shop in the area. I was working. Really. When I realized that I was and had been the only customer for quite some time. Just me and the girl working there, I decided, you know what? How about an interruption. Her name is Kirra and she and I had a great conversation about the economy, spirituality and Jesus. Very cool person. And I'm ever so grateful that Jesus is teaching me to live life on the way. I view myself to be a bit like Derek Zoolander. "Derek, I'm not an ambi-turner either. In fact I'm not much of a turner at all. I'm learning."

Live Love.